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e P I L O g U e Dedicated to María Constanza Ceruti early the next morning, the day of her immolation, one of the priests awakened the fourteen-year-old girl. He gave her something to eat and told her, “It’s nearly time to begin the sacred ceremony.” Thirty minutes later, a slow procession made its way from the stone hut to the top of the lofty peak, following a trail delineated by rocks.1 The procession consisted of a high priest, the qhapaq hucha, two lesser priests, and the Inka official. Once on the summit, they mounted a low platform that was rectangular in shape, about 6 × 10 m.2 Whereas the previous afternoon the wind had been howling, now the air was perfectly still, though the cold was intense. drawing her lliklla (shawl) closely around her shoulders and wrapping the corners of the garment around her fingers for warmth, the young woman stared out at the sea of mountains around her. The sun, just peeking over the horizon, gave their snowy caps a pinkish-orange glow, similar to the color of Spondylus shell. The sacrificial victim was wearing the clothing of an aqlla and looked very beautiful. Her shiny black hair, which had been plaited into hundreds of tiny braids, hung down her back. draped over her shoulders and fastened over her heart with a silver pin was her lliklla. Beneath the shawl was an aqsu, a long dress made of fine alpaca wool that extended from her underarms to her ankles. girding her narrow waist was a wide chumpi, on her feet leather moccasins, on her head the stunning headdress with a semicircular halo of white feathers.3 Standing on the sacred platform and facing the rising sun, the five people bowed as a gesture of humility. The priests lifted their arms with forearms parallel, hands slightly above their heads and open, palms forward. each one made a kissing sound with his mouth, bringing his right hand to his lips and kissing his fingertips, thus paying homage to the mountain- Epilogue 165 waqa. Then, while the imperial official and the two lower-ranking priests chanted, the higher-status officiant raised an Inka jug and consecrated the chicha it contained. He poured some of the corn beer onto the platform and handed the vessel to the young woman, telling her to drink deeply. She complied.Though it had a low alcohol content, the chicha went to her head quickly due to the extreme altitude4 and her nearly empty stomach. The high priest dedicated the ritual objects, brought with the sacrificial victim, to the mountain-god; finally, he consecrated the young woman herself. Lifting his arms in supplication to the waqa, he addressed it directly. “Powerful apu, accept these humble offerings, including the life of the qhapaq hucha. In return, make our fields fertile. Send us plentiful water and fair weather so our plants will not wither, nor be destroyed by frost, but will grow large and produce a bountiful harvest. Bestow on the emperor health and long life. grant that his realm, especially the vast lands visible from your lofty summit, be peaceful and prosperous. I beseech you, in his name and in the name of Inti, the Sun.” With these words, the officiant produced a cloth bag from which he selected several perfect coca leaves. He put them in his open palm, gently blew across them, and gave them to the young woman, instructing her to chew them with a little crushed lime to release their narcotic effect. He took her hand and led her, since by this time her brain was numb from the drugs she had consumed, to a hole at the northern end of the platform. It had been excavated with pointed sticks several days earlier by the laborers, who had been prohibited from using metal tools. The high priest lowered her into the shaft as the other three individuals taking part in the ceremony began a solemn song. At the bottom of the shaft was a flat, cramped space where she sat, drawing her knees toward her chest so she would fit, and crossing her ankles5 for warmth. The officiant arranged the ceramic vessels , wooden spoon, wooden cups, cloth bags, and statuettes around her. As the song continued, he adjusted the headdress and placed a beautiful tunic—that of a mid-level noble, which was also intended as an offering for the mountain-waqa—on the right side of her...

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